Circuit closer



Patented July 11, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE JOSEPH ANDERSON, LEOV. ANDERSON AND JOSEPH B. ANDERSGN", OF LEH, UTAH CIRCUIT CLOSERApplication filed February 4, 1932. Serial No. 590,2

'This invention relates to a circuit closer, and it is primarily anobject of the invention to provide a device of this kind actuated by atime operating mechanism and which em- J bodies a structure whereby adesired circuit may be closed and opened in predetermined. timedsequence.

Another object of the invention is to pro-` vide a device of this `kindcomprising a mova- 73 ble contact member arranged for coaction with asecond contact` member, said second contact member being adjustable withrespect to the movable contact member to regulate or control the periodof time with which both 3" of such contacts 'are in working engagementone with respect to the invention.

The invention also has for an `object to provide a device of this kindcomprising a movable contact for coaction with what might be 'ii-ltermed a stationary Contact, together with a stop member arranged forcoaction with the movable contact to provide means to assure workingengagement between the movable and stationary contacts at substantiallya pre- 'f determined period of time.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a device of thiskind comprising1 two contacts, one being movable with respect to theother, the movablecontact being of a.

99 charac-ter to have immediate effective engagement withvthe othercontacter release therefrom with the liability of sparking or gappingsubstantially eliminated.

The invention consists in the details of construction and in thecombination and airangement of the several parts of our iinprovedcircuit closer whereby certain important advantages are attained and thedevice rendered simpler, less expensive and otherwise more convenientand advantageous for use, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

The novel features of our invention will hereinafter be definitelyclaimed.

In order that our invention may be the betterunderstood, we will nowproceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawing,wherein kFigure l is a view in elevation of a circuit closer constructedin accordance with an embodimcnt of our invention;

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantiaily on the line2 2 of Figure l looking in the direction of the arrow;

A Figure 3 is a ciagramniatic view illustrating certain features of theinvention as herein comprised.

' is disclosed in the accompanyingl dra-wing, l denotes a body member ofdesired confiouration and formed of any suitabie mateiiialnon-conductiife` of electricity. This member l may be supporteri by abase bracket 2 ci' otherwise as the requirements of practice may prefer.Rotatably disposed through the member l is a shaft 3 of a materialconductive of electricity and which is adapted to be engaged by acoupling L with a drive member 5. L

The .couping i is of a material non-con- 70 ductive of electricity andthe member 5 is adapted to be driven by any desired type of timeactuating mechanism, the member 5 however, preferably rotating at aspeed td require twenty-four hours to complete a single revolution ofthe shaft 3.

The shaft 3 is preferably disposed direct` ly through sujl'iportingbearing G also of a material conductive of electricity and which isiixedly secured by the screws 7 or the like 80 tothe body member l. @neof the screws in the present embodiment of our invention constitutes aterminal connection for a conductor a adapted to lead from a suitablesource of electrical energy.

. In the present embodiment of the inventioii the member l at oppositesides of its vertical center is provided with the arcuate slots 8concentric to the sha t 3 and slidably arranged within each of the slotsS is a con tact member 9. Each of these members 9 has leading therefroman electrical conductor leading to a suitable point of translation, asfor example a potentiall illuminating medium. The shaft 3 in the presentembodia- 95 ment of the invention rotates in an anticlockwise directionand each of the slots 8 has arranged therein in advance of its contactmember 9 a stop member l0. Each of the contact members 9 as well as eachof the 100 stop members 10 is adapted to be adjusted along itsassociated slot 8 tol a desired selective location in accordance withthe desired timed sequence of operation, and one of the slots 8 beyondthe contact member 9 is provided with a second contact member 11 inelectrical connection by the conductor c with a conductor b andinterposed in this conductor c is a resistance coil 12.

Each of the contact members 9 and the stop member 10 is held in desiredadjusted position in its slot 8 in a conventional manner by a holdingnut 4.

The shaft 3 carries a rock arm 15 overlying the outer or front face ofthe member 1 and pivotally connected, as at 16, with the outer extremityof the rock arm 15 is an elongated and relatively broad contact member17 which, in the present embodiment of the invention, is substantiallystraight from end to end.

Coacting with the roch arm 15 and with the contact member 17 is a springelement 18 which serves to urge the contact member 17 in one direction.This spring element constitutes an intermediate coil surrounding thepivotal mounting 16 for the member 17 with y one extremity of the springelement in effecn tive engagement with the rock arm 15 and the oppositeextremity in effective engagement with the contact member 17.

In the present embodiment of our invention a period of twenty-four hoursis required for the rock arm 15 to completely travel around the adjacentface of the member 1, and as the rock arm 15 travels upwardly from thevertical the contact member 17 will come into contact with the stopmember 10 at what we might call the evening side of the device. Thelocation of the stop member 10 within its slot 8 with respect to theadjacent contact member 9 will determine the period of time required forsaid contact member 17 to pass from the stop member 10.

As the rock arm 15 travels with the contact member 17 in contact withthe stop member 10 the spring element 1S will be placed under suchtension that immediately upon' the contact member 17 passing free fromthe stop member 10 the spring element 18v will throw the contact member17 into abrupt enga-gement with the contact member 9. This is importantas it minimizes the liability of sparking or gapping which mightotherwise occur and which would have a tendency to impair the efiiciencyof the device.

lVhen the member 17 comes into engagement with the contact member 9 dueto the fact that the rock arm 15 as well as the contact member 17 areconductive of electricity, a circuit will be closed through theconductors a and Z) thusassuring the desired translation of electricalenergy, as for example an electric lighting system such as employed inchicken houses.

The placement of the stop member 10 with respect to the contact member-9 and, of course, the particular location of the contact member 9 willdetermine the period of time at which the contact member 17 will comeinto engagement with the contact men'lber 9. The setting of thesemembers 10 and 9 may be readily done by initially turning the shaft 3and considering the readings of the conventional time hands with respectto the associated time dial. To facilitate this placement, however, theouter face of the member 1 may'have thereon the graduations 19 which, asillustrated in Figure 1 of the drawing, may be placed at one-half hourintervals. As is believed to be obvious these graduations, however, maybe otherwise spaced or arranged.

As the contact member 17 passes from the Contact member 9 at thecevening side of the device, said contact member 17 under the iniiuenceof the spring element 18 Will then be immediately brought intoengagement with the contact member 11 which, owing to the interposedresistance in the conductor c lea ding therefrom, will reduce thetranslation of the current and which is particularly desirable inchicken houses as the glow from the lighting system will be reducedsomewhat in simulation of a sunset.

It might be mentioned at this time that our improved device can beemployed to advantage in connection with chicken houses to assure:longer hours of light than would be obtained if depending wholly andentirely upon the sun.

It is believed that the coaction and operation of the contact member 17with the stop member 10 and thev contact member 9 in the .slotvS at themorning side of the device will be clearly understood from the aforesaiddescription with respect to the similar men'lbers in the slot at theevening side of the device.

From the foregoing description it is thought to be obvious that acircuit closer constructed in accordance with our invention isparticularly well adapted for use by reason of the convenience andfacility with which it may be assembled and operated, and it will alsobe obvious that our invention is susceptible of some change andmodification without departing from the principles and spirit thereofand for this reason We do not wish to be understood as. limitingourselves to the precise arrangement and formation of the several partsherein shown in carrying out our invention in practice except ashereinafter claimed.

We claim 1. A circuit closer comprising a member, a rock arm rotatablysupported by said member, arcuate slots in the member concentric to theaxis about which the rock arm travels, means for connecting the rock armto a source of electrical energy, a contact member in each of the slots,a stop member in each of the slots in advance of the contact member, acontact member' pivotally connected to the rock arm and of a length tohave contact With a stop member and a first named contact member, and aspring element coacting With the rock arm and the last named Contactmember for bringing said last named contac-t member into engagement Withthe stop member and then to abruptly bring the last named contact memberinto engagement with the contact member in the same slot as the stopmember immediately upon the rock arm travelling a distance to throw thelast named contact member free of the stop member.

2. A circuit closer comprising a member, a rock arm rotatably supportedby said member, arcuate slots in the member concentric to the axis aboutwhich the rock arm travels, means :tor connecting the rock arm to asource of electrical energy, a contact member in each of the slots, lastop member in each of the slots in advance of the contact member, acontact member'pivotally connected to the rock arm and of a length tohave contact with a stop member and a rst named contact member, and aspring element coacting With the rock arm and the last named contactmember for bringing said last named contact member into engagement Withthe stop member and then to abruptly bring the last named contact memberinto engagement With the contact member inthe same slot as the stopmember immediately upon the rock arm travelling a distance to throw thelast named contact,

member free of the stop member, the contact member and stop member ineach of the slots being adjustable in the slot one With respect to theother. l

3. A circuit closer comprising a rock arm, means for operating the same,means for placing the rock arm in connection with electrical energy, amember, a contact member carried thereby, a stop member carried by saidmember, said contact member and stop member being adjustable one withrespect to the other, an elongated contact member pivotally connectedwith the rock arm for contact with the stop member and the contactmember in timed sequence, and spring element coacting With the rock armand the elongated Contact member for urging the elongated contact memberinto effective engagement With either the stop member or the tiretcontact member, said spring element being placed under tension duringtravel of the rock arm with the elongated member in engagement with thestop member and abruptly throwing the elongated member into engagementWith the lirst named contact member immediately upon the rock arm moving a distance to free the elongated member from the stop member.

In testimony whereof We hereunto aHiX our signatures.

JOS. ANDERSON. LEO V. ANDERSON. JOSEPH B. ANDERSON.

